Gokuraku Onsen Takumi no Yado

The bathhouse has a stone tub carved from a single giant boulder, a pool of naturally carbonated mineral water that rises right on the grounds without any dilution, an open-air bath looking out toward Mount Takachiho-no-mine, a cold plunge, and a roomy dry sauna. A private reservation-only bath is also available, and one suite even has its own source-fed open-air tub, so guests staying there can soak without watching the clock. The cold spring water turns a warm golden color once it's heated for the baths, and it's free to drink on site too. The inn began as a toji retreat: the founder's grandfather, a Buddhist priest, went looking for spring water that could heal ordinary people and settled in this valley below Mount Takachiho-no-mine, naming the place Gokuraku Onsen, paradise hot spring, for his wish that everyone could soak here as equals. Pilgrims and mountain climbers have kept coming for generations, and the inn still runs dedicated toji lodging plans today. Meals center on mountain and river ingredients, some grilled over an irori (囲炉裏) hearth.